FIA regulation changes for 2026 aim to stop F1 cars looking like they have stalled at the tracks during tight street racing.
The governing body is slashing the minimum weight by 30kg down to 768kg and shortening the wheelbase by 200mm. These tweaks are designed to make the cars more nimble and less like the lumbering giants of the current era.
Aerodynamics are shifting away from massive ground-effect tunnels to flatter floors and active wings. Drivers will toggle between Z-Mode for high downforce in corners and X-Mode to reduce drag on the straights. This should prevent the dirty air effect that has cratered overtaking opportunities in recent years.
The power unit is ditching the MGU-H and moving to a 50/50 split between petrol and electric power. Electrical output is surging from 120kW to 350kW to keep the speed up despite the smaller engines.
A new Manual Override Mode will give chasing drivers a tactical boost to help them clinch the overtake.
TECHNICAL SPEC CHANGES
Minimum car weight reduced from 800kg to 768kg.
Maximum car width narrowed from 2000mm to 1900mm.
Electrical power output increased from 120kW to 350kW.
Power units to run on 100 percent advanced sustainable fuels.
“These cars are meant to be light and fast, but I worry teams will struggle to hit that weight target without compromising safety.” – Jay | JPS
Will the return to smaller and nimbler cars finally bring back the wheel-to-wheel combat we have been missing?
✅ Smaller cars are better
❌ Too much electric power
📸 Images via Racecar Engineering / Getty Images
